1. Field of the Invention
The subject invention generally relates to a shift lever assembly for operating a transmission of a vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Current safety guidelines require that a transmission shift lever of a vehicle be collapsible to alleviate the possibility of injury during an accident, i.e., the safety guidelines require that the transmission shift lever collapse (break-away, disconnect, etc.) upon application of a force greater than a pre-determined value.
Accordingly, several different transmission shift lever connections have been developed to meet these safety guidelines. Typically, these connections include a frangible pin interconnecting the transmission shift lever with a support structure of the vehicle. The frangible pin fractures upon application of a force to the transmission shift lever greater than the pre-determined value, thereby at least partially disconnecting the transmission shift lever from the support structure. While these types of connections satisfy the safety guidelines, the transmission shift lever is left inoperable until the fractured parts are replaced and the transmission shift lever is re-connected to the support structure.